Video Game Hall of Fame - Big Bang 2010 Inductees Ceremony
Riverside man to be inducted into International
Video Game Hall of Fame
Monday, August 2nd, 2010.
Issue 31, Volume 14.
RIVERSIDE - A Riverside man with a legendary past as
a player of arcade games will be inducted into the
International Video Game Hall of Fame this week.
Paul Dean, 45, will be recognized as "Champion of the
Arcade Age" on Saturday during "The Big Bang," an annual
festival sponsored by the International Video Game Hall
of Fame & Museum and the city of Ottumwa, Iowa.
The four-day event, which gets under way Wednesday and
includes tournaments, exhibitions, industry panel discussions
and concerts, will feature an induction ceremony for 28
people who have broken gaming records or left other lasting
marks on Advertisement
Shriners Hospital for Children the industry, according
to organizers.
Dean holds two gaming records. The first was set on
June 28, 1985, when the San Jose native racked up
9,512,590 points over 12 hours playing the arcade game "Spy Hunter."
The second record was set on Dec. 2-4, 2005, when Dean
played "Frenzy" for 41 hours straight, earning an unprecedented
4,874,931 points -- and apparently enough credits for intermittent
bathroom breaks -- according to the International Video Game
Hall of Fame Web site.
Dean will be joined by Eric Akeson, the all-time Pac-Man
champion, and Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong.
Riverside man to be inducted into International Video Game Hall of Fame link

Riverside man inducted into gamer hall of fame
Download story podcast
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, August 6, 2010
By MATT CALKINS
The Press-Enterprise
INLAND ARCADE KING'S FAME SPREADS | North America > United
When a quarterback or first baseman produces
statistics so astronomical that they appear almost
fictitious, writers often describe the athletes
as having "video-game numbers."
So the question becomes: What do you call it when someone
generates "video-game numbers" -- while playing a video game?
Well, there has been no term coined for such a feat yet,
but when it happens, it should probably be named after
Riverside resident Paul Dean.
Story continues below
Matt Calkins / The Press-Enterprise
Paul Dean spent 11-plus hours topping 9.5 million
points on "Spy Hunter." Next best score? 832,620
Twenty-five years ago, Dean ambled into an Upland
arcade, plopped down in front of the widely popular
driving game "Spy Hunter" and logged a score of 9,512,590
points. According to video-game record tracking
organization Twin Galaxies, the best score anyone else
has posted is 832,620 points.
So it should come as little surprise that
Dean, 45, will be inducted into the International
Video Game Hall of Fame in Ottumwa, Iowa, today.
As far as gaming is concerned, he's the Inland
area's pride and joystick.
"It's all about practice. You're practicing
three hours a day," said Dean, adding that he
was "shocked" when he found out he'd be among
the 29 inductees to the shrine's inaugural class.
"It's a lot of hard work. There are no freebies."
extended play
In a time when millions of Americans are forced
to stretch each dollar to its limit, the fact Dean
could get a whole day's worth of entertainment out
of a quarter may spark some envy. He and select
friends from Riverside Poly High used to schlep to
nearby Castle Park each weekend and smash arcade-game
records one after the other.
At one point, Dean, two classmates and a Riverside
Community College student were each listed in the
Guinness Book of World Records for high score on
an arcade game -- making Riverside an unheralded
hotbed for gaming superstardom. But outside of one
slightly lascivious incident, their accomplishments
hardly brought about fanfare or
groupies.
The aforementioned moment occurred when Dean was in
high school, still honing his "Spy Hunter" skills at
Castle Park, when a girl he'd met only once stuck her
tongue in his ear in hopes of distracting him midgame.
It didn't work.
"I had the competitive strength to get through that,"
said Dean, now a construction worker who lives with
his father in the home in which he was raised. "All
I knew about her was that she was Catholic, and I
was thinking, 'This is not how a Catholic girl should
act.' "
Dean retained his competitive strength after high
school while attending RCC and then Cal State San
Bernardino. He said he used to practice in secret and
would only play in front of crowds when he knew he
was prepared.
His proficiency at "Spy Hunter," a game in which the
player is a secret agent shooting bad guys in cars,
was the result of spending countless sessions playing
without weapons -- "because if I could play without
weapons, I could do anything."
And in June 1985, that discipline paid off exponentially.
Participating in a Guinness tournament amid dozens
of other gamers hoping to leave their mark, Dean
embarked on an 11½-hour "Spy Hunter" run. When he
emerged from the James Bond- inspired game, he'd left
the crowd shaken and the video-game world stirred.
The final tally: 9,512,590 points. If this were baseball,
it would be about the equivalent of a batter clocking
10 home runs in a game.
"That record is very interesting. How does it fit
compared to other records? It's 10 times higher
than second place," said the hall of fame's founder,
Walter Day. "I think, one day, Paul's record will
fall. But it's so good -- who knows how long it
will take."
games galore
Dean bought his house from his dad, Ed, in 2000
and purchased two other homes in Orlando, Florida
His Riverside house is stocked with more than 100
arcade games, although Dean hasn't embraced modern
entertainment systems.
When asked if he was any good at "Off Road," a
driving game sitting in his backyard that came
out in 1989, Dean responded, "I'm not really good
at the new games."
And despite his endorsement of a strong work ethic,
Dean concedes he possesses some innate ability.
Sometimes he watches other people play and can't
understand why they don't see what he sees. This
vision revealed itself five years ago, when he
amassed nearly 5million points playing "Frenzy,"
the result of gaming for more than 41 hours straight.
"I'd never stayed up that long in my life," Dean
said. "You get extra lives as the game goes on.
So I built up like 100 of them. If I needed to
go to the bathroom, I would just let 20
of my men die."
Dean's not so apathetic in the real world. While
his talent always lay in gaming, he long aspired
to work as a social worker. Unfortunately, a 3.2 GPA
at Cal State wasn't good enough to get him into the
university's social work program, so he had to figure
out another way to give back.
His answer? Annual video game contests that come out
of his own pocket.
"I play video games for the social aspect," said
Dean, who also plays pinball and wows contest
participants each year by casually posting 1 million
points on "Spy Hunter." "This brings people together."
Added Mark Alpiger, who produced the second-highest
score in the game "Crystal Castles": "Paul's one of
the good guys. He's the nicest gamer I've ever
known. He's never in a foul mood, which is rare
for people in this particular hobby."
As can likely be deduced, Dean's fairly satisfied
with his life. He's got his games, his contests,
his records and, of course, his dad.
The one thing he's missing? A wife. But he's
hardly called game over on that endeavor.
"I'll take all comers. I'm not picky," Dean said.
"But she'd have to like video games."
Reach Matt Calkins at 951-368-9649 or mcalkins@PE.com
Press Enterprise On-Line Paul Dean Riverside Man Story link
Press Enterprise INLAND ARCADE KING'S FAME SPREADS link

These Guys Play to Win Respect - Inland News: Press Enterprise
They are listed in the 2007 Guinness World Records
11:48 PM PDT on Monday, September 4, 2006
By DOUGLAS QUAN
The Press-Enterprise
These Guys Play to Win Respect
They are listed in the 2007 Guinness World Records
11:48 PM PDT on Monday, September 4, 2006
By DOUGLAS QUAN
The Press-Enterprise
A nickel-and-dime obsession stretching back to the 1980s era of Pac-Man, poufy hair and AC/DC has
landed two Inland men in the annals of arcade-game feats.
The Guinness World Records holder for the highest score on three pinball games is Jim Belsito, 36
of Rialto. Belsito has squeezed 31 pinball machines into his house, including one that blocks
the front hallway. "It's the ultimate bachelor pad," Belsito said.
The just-released 2007 edition of the Guinness World Records lists among the top arcade game player
Riverside's Paul Dean, 41, and Rialto's Jim Belsito, 36. Dean holds the highest score in the classic
James Bond-inspired arcade game Spy Hunter, a record he clinched in 1985. Belsito racked up the highest
scores on three of 10 pinball games at a tournament in Las Vegas in April.
It is the first time since 1986 that the Guinness book has included a section recognizing video and
computer game scores.
"I was basically ignored for many years. I'm very excited about it," said Dean, whose Boy Scout
manners belie an intense competitive spirit. "I went to Barnes & Noble and I couldn't believe it.
I got a paragraph. Few people get that much space."
The laid-back, sneaker-wearing Belsito was equally elated. The Guinness book has never recognized
pinball scores.
"Quite awesome," he said. "Definitely honored to be there."
In this edition, Dean and Belsito join the likes of Alastair Galpin, of New Zealand, who managed
to slide 70 socks onto one foot; Dusty, the Texas tabby cat, who produced 420 kittens during her
breeding life; Dr. Isa Massaud Issa, of Libya, who deftly completed the game Operation in 1 minute,
2 seconds; and Janet Jackson, the most Googled (and ogled) person on the Internet in 2005.
Related
Video:Jim Belsito shows off his 34 pinball machines
The two men have a lot in common. They honed their video-game blasting and pinball-flipping skills
at Riverside's Castle Park arcade in the 1980s, when the graphics were rudimentary, and games emitted
simple blips and booms.
They've built at least part of their careers around the arcade game industry. Dean is a trade-show
exhibit installer, but he also operates a handful of coin-operated games at businesses across the
Inland region. Belsito is co-owner of Riverside-based P S Vending, which operates games across
Southern California.
Arcade games cram the homes of both men, who are single. Dean, who recently scooped up a Spy Hunter
arcade game for $400 and shelled out another $1,000 to restore it, has 31 arcade games in his house,
which he shares with his father. Belsito has squeezed 31 pinball machines in his house, including one
that blocks the front hallway.
"It's the ultimate bachelor pad," Belsito said.
Their enthusiasm is infectious and invades much of their personal lives. Dean maintains a Web site,
spyhunter007.com, that includes a mind-numbing list of arcade game-related records, articles and links.
He is unafraid to boast that his Spy Hunter score of 9,512,590 is more than 10 times greater than the
next highest recorded score.
"If I play it once, I can play it forever. ... There's no competitive value," he said. "I've mastered
the game."
Last year, at a tournament in Texas, Dean scored a new world record in another classic game, Frenzy,
which he played for 41 hours with three breaks.
Belsito, who signs off his e-mails with "Happy Flippin,' " competes in pinball tournaments called
"Pinbrawls." He runs a pinball league that meets weekly at a Riverside bar. Twice a year, he hosts
a pinball bash at his house open to all Southern California "pinheads."
Belsito enjoyed the 1975 movie, "Tommy," about a boy who becomes a pinball wizard, that was inspired
by The Who's rock album of the same name. But the 1979 Brooke Shields flick "Tilt," which is about
a young girl who is a pinball wizard, elicits only jeers.
"That was pretty bad," he said. Their parents are among their biggest fans. On the night he found out
he was named in the new Guinness book, Dean and his father celebrated with dinner at The Old Spaghetti
Factory. Belsito's mother rushed to Costco to pick up three copies of the Guinness book and proudly
announced to the cashier that her son was listed inside. So what is the secret to their winning scores?
"You've got to have good hand-eye coordination," Belsito answered dryly.
Dean offered this football coach sound bite: "You just don't give up," he said.
Then, in the next assured breath, he added: "I played seven days a week."
Reach Douglas Quan at 951-368-9479 or dquan@PE.com
These Guys Play to Win Respect - Inland News: Press Enterprise link
This Paul Dean Press Enterprise story has been reprinted on several sites listed below:
Aug. 6, 2010
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Castle Amusement Park - A Training Place for Riverside 1980's Guinness Players
Bud Hurlbut's of Hurlbut Amusement Company (Hurlbut Enterprises) created the Knott's Berry
Farm Mine Ride & Timber Mountain Log Ride - Timber Mountain Log Ride (formerly known as
the Calico Log Ride), (Calico Log and Lumber Co. attraction) is among many other of the
Knott's Berry Farm big amusement rides. link
Bud Hurlbut was the owner of Castle Amusement Park at 3500 Polk Street, Riverside, CA 92505-1824
where many Guinness Riverside Players (Paul Dean, Dave Dean, Phil Britt, Mike Sullivan, Jeff Peters,
and Mike Quarles practiced daily in order to achieve their Guinness Skills published in the 1986
Guinness Book of World Records and other Guinness editions. linkPaul von Klieben - Saturday Night In CalicoPaul von Klieben Mural in Calico Saloon, Knott's Berry Farm
Paul von Klieben painted a large mural for the Calico Saloon which opened in 1951, it featured a
massive painting behind the bar called "Saturday Night in Old Calico." which is now in the upstairs
picture gallery.
Paul von Klieben a Knott's Berry Farm Artist and Painter designed many of the buildings at
Knott's Berry Farm as well as the Gold Mine and Calico Ghost Town. He spent his free time
exploring the ruins of real ghost towns and camps in California’s isolated areas. His contributions
formed Knott's from a Berry Farm into the Amusement Park it is today.
Bud Hurlbut developed the ride's revolutionary free-float flume movement for Knott's Berry Farm
in 1969. This artificial water way is an open artificial water channel that allows 450 pound logs
to float freely down the 2,100 foot waterway to re-create the loggers practice of riding their logs
to the sawmills to be processed with a rapid descent and splashdown into a body of water known as the
log pond at the thrilling bottom of this drop. This flume is six feet wide pushing logs from 8 to 22
feet per second with a final descent of a 20 foot water drop controlled by three 125 horsepower pumps
circulating 24,000 gallons of water per minute with a reservoir of 350,000 gallons of water being
rotating through the flume system.
Bud Hurlbut also designed the original miniature trains at Knott's Berry Farm.
The first log flume amusement ride is said to be El Aserradero ("The Sawmill" in Spanish), built
by amusement company Arrow Development (later known as Arrow Dynamics, and now part of S&S/Arrow)
in 1963 at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. link
Cedar Fair, L.P., acquired Knott's Berry Farm from the Knott's family in December 1997.
Park Designer Bud Hurlbut: was also the Founder of Castle Amusement Park a local Riverside, CA
Arcade and Miniture Golf Course. Owned by Bud Hurlbut from 1976-1999. Castle Park is a
25 acre amusement park in Riverside, California
Twin Galaxies Official Book: Second Edition 2007
TWIN GALAXIES
Arcade Video Chapter 1, Page 6, Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball
Book of World Records by Walter Day - Coin-Op video games:
2007 Second Edition: Arcade Volume Link
PRESS ENTERPRISE ARTICLE: 07:12 PM PDT on Monday, July 7, 2008
By SEAN NEALON
The Press-Enterprise
Die-hard fans keep handful of Inland-area arcades alive link
PRESS ENTERPRISE: May 30, 2005
by Doug Quan - Press Enterprise = Spy Hunter Champ says Game Not Over link
Paul Dean Quotes link
International Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees link
Paul Dean Spy Hunter Biography link
Info on Dave Dean brother of Paul Dean Spy Hunter Champion and his Guinness Player Friends Link
Dave Dean brother of Paul Dean Spy Hunter Champion wins Knotts Berry Farm Video Game Contest link
IN 1984, Dave Dean was one of the Nominees Selected By The Electronic Sports League,
Inc. and the Twin Galaxies International Scoreboard Link
Bud Hurlbut was a partner of Knott's Berry Farm and founder of Castle Amusement Park, where
Dave Dean worked as a arcade technician and was good friends with the illusive millionaire
of Amusement Parks.
Knotts Berry Farm is the 12th most-visited amusement park in the country link